Chapter 10

It didn’t seem like five minutes had passed before he awoke with a jolt. Boz shook him by the shoulder, a trace of alarm in his voice as he repeated Jake’s name several times.

“Come on, man. Wake up. Don’t be going into a coma on me here.”

Finally, Jake pried his eyes open and summoned the capacity to reply. “Errghhmmfff. I’m awright.”

Boz shone a flashlight into his face. “Well, your eyes respond to the light. I’m gonna bed down across the hall, but I’m a light sleeper. Expect another wake-up call or two before daylight. You ought to get out of those clothes. Can’t be comfortable sleeping that way.”

After Boz left, Jake sat up. Although it was difficult and clumsy, he managed to unfasten his jeans and slither out of them. He dropped them to the floor and then dragged his T-shirt off. After that, he crawled under the dark plaid spread and found a pillow to slip under his head before darkness closed in again.